I Come To You In Pieces
by The Eye Behind The Lens
Summary: On the eve of her death, the Doctor takes River on one final trip, The Singing Towers.


A.N. I haz angst again Once again I highly recommend listening to the song I wrote this to whilst you read it. It worked really well with my last one so give it a go yeah :) It's called Pieces by Red and it's gorgeous :) As always, reviews are air and i would love it if you dropped me a line :) ta xx

Doctor. The title given to those who heal people, who save people. It should not be given to people like him, who couldn't, even for all his trying, save just one person. The only person who ever really, truly mattered.

So no, today he wasn't the Doctor, because today he didn't deserve the title and would probably never deserve it again. However, there was one thing left that he could be, and that was a husband.

River, his beautiful and mysterious River, had told him as she sat on that infernal device preparing to sacrifice herself, that he had taken her to the Singing Towers, and no matter how much it broke his hearts to do it, that was exactly what was going to happen. He would give her that. He couldn't save her, not really, but he could give her one last night together before it all ended.

So that was how he ended up outside her house, knocking on her TARDIS blue front door, with a new hair cut, a suit and a bouquet of the reddest roses in the universe. She was over joyed to see him, standing there with that silly smile on his face and as she ran upstairs to change, his hearts cracked even more. If only she new this was the eve of her death.

Whilst she was changing, he wandered slowly around her house, their house, admiring for the last time all of the reminders of their beautiful, if unusual life together. There were pictures of him in blue frames on the walls, the results of River's love for photography.

Many were taken when he didn't know and according to her, captured him perfectly. There was some of him as he bounded around the console, sending them away to some new planet for another adventure. Others showed the rare occasions that he actually slowed down enough to relax.

His favourites however, were the ones of them together; beautiful images of them on stunning planets or ones of them together on the TARDIS. His eyes travelled from one to the other, swimming with unshed tears that he swore he would not let fall. Why did he have to do this? Why could the universe not just grant him this one thing! He wanted more time!

He heard her begin her decent into the living room and swiftly swiped at his eyes, hoping to disguise his utter heartbreak. She looked stunning. Her unruly curls had been left natural, just how he loved them and she wore a figure hugging black dress that left nothing to the imagination. Not like anything had to be imagined anymore though. Her heels were high, red and killer, reminding him of the first time her saw her after she died. Funny how they would also be the last things he saw her in before she died.

Pushing these thoughts away he swanned towards her, taking her hand and gently kissing it. She giggled softly, seeming much younger and much more innocent then she really was, that bad, bad girl. God did he love her though.

He led her by the hand to the TARDIS, sweeping her up into his arms and carrying her through the door when they reached it. Who said he couldn't be romantic? Settling her on the old, abused seat he typed in the co ordinates and sent them off towards the last night of her life.

When they arrived, a little smoother than normal, it was a special occasion after all, he told her to stay where she was and keep her eyes closed. Long use to her loves eccentricities, she obeyed with a smile, patiently waiting to see whatever he had for her next.

He dashed outside and after checking everything was perfect, he went inside and gently led her out, making sure her eyes were still closed. Just before he let her see her surprise, he stepped away and looked at her. She looked so utterly beautiful standing there with her sexiest outfit on, eyes closed and trusting him completely. It hurt him more than he could stand.

When she was finally allowed to open her eyes, the sight she was met with brought tears to them. There was a small candlelit table with wine and food laid on it, all over looking the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. The Singing Towers. They were up on a hill so the view was like no other and the music flowed through the air like magic. It was the most beautiful place she had ever seen let alone been to in all of her life. And to top it all of, the love of her life was standing there with that beautifully bashful smile on his face and pulling out a chair for her to sit on.

That night was one of the best of his life, and hopefully hers as well. They talked and laughed and kissed and danced. But all too soon the sun began to slowly creep up, illuminating the towers in a burning halo. The music in the air around them changed, almost as if it sensed the terrible thing that was to happen today. It was the most haunting, heart-breaking music he had ever heard in his long, long years and as he turned his head downwards to look at River, lying peacefully in his lap, the dam inside him finally broke and tears streamed from his eyes and fell into her golden curls.

If she ever suspected something, she didn't let it show. Instead she sat up and pulled him into the loving embrace that only she could provide. He would miss this. He would miss everything about her. Yes it had been hard on the occasions where he had met her and she barely new him, but this would be different. He would never again get to stare into the bottomless pools of her eyes, feel the tickle of her untameable hair against his cheek as her held her, kiss her impossibly soft lips.

They stayed together like that till the sun was almost fully risen; he crying and her holding him. He must have cried out years worth of tears and when he finally stopped and their eyes met, he knew he would never be able to cry again. You needed a heart to feel, and feelings to cry. He knew that when she leaves, she would take his hearts with her.

Finally, with an off hand remark about how she did have something useful to do today, he knew that the time had come to say his goodbyes, to drop her back off at her house and send her to her death. He wanted nothing more than to warn her of what was to come, but he couldn't, not unless he wanted to tear a whole in history. And as he looked at her open, loving face he knew if he stayed here any longer, he would.

The trip in the TARDIS went far too quickly, even with him taking his time sending them off, and before he knew it they were outside her bright blue door preparing to say goodbye. In her mind this was just another short farewell until they saw each other again, but for him it was the last time he would ever see her alive. He held her close; face buried into her hair and inhaling the hypnotising sent that was River. He kissed her, projecting all of his love and devotion into it and praying she would remember this when she met his younger self. The one who would not know her.

Feeling as though the world was caving in around him, he finally stepped away, forcing a smile onto his face as she gave him one last kiss and retreated into her house. He watched her through the window for a moment as she twirled around and laughed. He watched as she took out her diary and sat down on her sofa. He watched as she wrote the last entry she would ever make.

Tearing himself away, he turned slowly and dragged himself to the TARDIS, tearing the doors open and collapsing against them once inside. He stayed like that for a while, back against the comforting solidness of the doors, trying to get some kind of grip on himself as his hearts finally smashed into a thousand pieces and blew away with the wind.

The TARDIS sensed her pilot's distress and sent them far away, hoping to soothe him with her gentle noises and movements. But nothing would ever soothe him again. She was gone. She was never coming back.

Many years later, the last of the mighty Time Lords was finally dying. He sat once again with his back against his beautiful TARDIS's ancient blue doors, his breathing shallow and his eyes fading. He wasn't afraid though. In fact, he was relieved. After years of drifting throughout the universe, meeting people and saving them yet never being able to fill the empty void where his hearts used to be, he would finally be going home.

He thought back to the love of his life, the one who had taken his hearts and who his life had been empty without and he prayed. He prayed to whatever was out there that just this once; something could go the way he wanted. That he could have this one thing in return for all the good he had done in his long years. He prayed that somehow, wherever he went, he would be allowed to see her again.

As he pictured her beautiful smile, his ancient, tired eyes closed for the very last time and his soul set sail for his next great adventure.

"Hello sweetie"


End file.
